The Night Sky
by Koosha
Summary: The story follows from where the end begins. Hints of light romance/family,etc. Characters:Olivier/Scar/Miles/Mustang/Hawkeye/Grumman/Ed/Winry/Pinako/Al/May/Ling/RanFan. Not good with summaries! " Read and review where possible! Thank you for reading
1. Chapter 1

The sun's glare spared no one at the parade. Olivier squinted and turned towards Mustang,  
who noticed her icy stare, despite battling the sun's heat. He turned towards Hawkeye and  
mumbled something as they both left hurriedly.  
"H~," Olivier started, though it was already too late.

"General!" The new Fuhrer approached, grinning away.  
"Fuhrer." Olivier straightened to a salute.  
"At Ease," the old man snickered slyly. "Who would have thought I'd make it here."  
At the corner of her eye, Mustang and Hawkeye looked smaller as they made into their vehicle.  
It should also be time for her to leave, she thought.  
"But of course," the old man continued, "not without the forces from the North."  
Olivier gave a nod, "If you'd excuse me, I'd like to take my leave now."  
"Of course."

The heat continued, as the already disintegrating troops, engaged in conversations among  
themselves after the Fuhrer's dismissal command.  
Two shadows picked up her pace and joined her from the side.  
"We're ready to leave."  
"Yes, General."  
"No, wait..." The sound of her steps halted as she turned towards a direction.  
"(Sigh) I should pay a visit home since I'll be leaving for Briggs again.  
They should already be back from their trip."  
Miles and Scar looked to each other.  
"Understood, General. We'll wait till further notice at the hotel."  
"No need to. Come along, it'll only take awhile anyway."

* * *

_I started this story as a forum-edition fanfic but since I picked it up, I thought I'd continue. ^.^ Read and review please! =)  
__Very much appreciated, Thank you._

_Credits to: Wikipedia, freedictionarydotcom and some online source._


	2. Chapter 2

The tall and enormous mansion already looked huge enough from afar  
but its view continued to enlarge as their vehicle advanced.  
A trio got out.

Olivier,"Mm?"  
"Sis!"  
A young girl stood atop the marbled stairs.  
"Catherine."  
The two men behind their general, nodded in gesture.  
"They're guests. Have Florence prepare something for refreshments. We'll be leaving shortly after."  
Catherine frowned, "Will let her know. Won't you be staying awhile longer?"  
"No."

Most of the renovations were completed and there were some new additions to the furnishings in the hall.  
Olivier, "I suppose there was a good harvest in Xing?"  
"The food was fantastic! Such a variety of sweet, sour and savoury! And their culture is so different and interesting!"  
Olivier folded her arms and settled on one of the long, exquisite sofa.  
"Mm?" She noticed her men standing behind her, "No need to stand on ceremony! Have a seat!"

"Do stay for lunch," came a voice.  
Philip Armstrong entered with his wife by his side. The old man looked slightly plumper than usual.  
"We heard about everything from Alex when we came home. We are so proud of you both!" he beamed.  
"Alex will return shortly and we'll have lunch, shall we?" Philip's eyes sparkled, "We'd like to have a meal with you since we rarely do. And.."  
His wife covered his hand with hers.  
"You will have another little sibling again soon!"  
"WHAT?"


	3. Chapter 3

Lunch was uncomfortable.  
Miles and Scar ate quietly, while stealing a few glances towards the Armstrongs, amidst the silence.

"So what else did you bring back?"  
The question jolted everyone at the table, accustomed to the silence not too long ago.  
"You said the physician from Xing revealed the news about your pregnancy. So what else did you bring back from Xing?"  
Olivier's shrewd eyes were fixed on her plate as she continued to tackle the meat for awhile.  
"What kind of meat is this?" she vented, as she rested her knife and reached for the wine.

"It's Black pig's meat," Catherine replied. "It isn't supposed to be tough. It tasted really good at Xing though.  
Maybe the new chef overcooked it! "  
"A new chef?" Olivier raised an eyebrow.  
"Yes, Romano left," Alex helped. "He's getting old and is retiring."

Another silence continued.

"Well, it's about time we left," Olivier picked up her sword by the side as she stood up.  
"Thank you for the meal, General Armstrong," Miles expressed towards Philip.  
"Hahaha, you're welcome! And I'm no longer a General, Major. Those were the days when..."

"Don't get him started!" Olivier snapped and headed for the steps, descending towards their vehicle.  
The two soldiers bowed before following her.

At the door of the vehicle, Olivier turned towards her family.  
"...(sigh) Take care," she managed, before the trio left for Briggs.

* * *

Back at the central office, the old man stood alone.  
He knew that his seat, like the momentary rays that streamed in by the window,  
would be replaced by another shadow, as soon as the light faded.  
It shouldn't be long until a new Fuhrer takes over.  
However, it would be a familiar face that he would be seeing, he believed.

There was a knock on the door.  
"Ahh," The Fuhrer looked pleased, as a couple strolled in.  
"We thought you'd be here," Roy removed his General hat and planted a set of chess on the table.  
The old man raised an eyebrow while lifting a smile.  
"The pawn, bishop, knight, rook and queen are all here, not one is missing. Yours truly included," said Roy,  
as he stepped back beside Riza.

"I heard from Rebecca that the 'knight' has fully regained his heels?" Grumman asked,  
as he gestured towards the seats in front.  
"Yes, fully," Roy replied.  
"And the Ishbal Policy? How's the 'bridge' coming along?"  
"It's on schedule and the region is picking up well."  
The old man snickered, as his spectacles gleamed, "Heh, so how is married life?"

Riza blushed at the thought and offered to get some tea to tide the glow.  
"Hehehe, our 'queen' is blushing!" Grumman noted.

They all had some cakes that the couple brought in over tea.  
Before the couple took to leave, Grumman added," You're a good choice, Roy...For many things."  
He then leaned over to Roy and whispered, "Take good care of my grand-daughter for me.  
She will become the next Fuhrer's wife."


	4. Chapter 4

The way back to Briggs was a little bumpy, especially the train ride.  
Olivier shifted to her side of the window and rested an elbow to support.  
Her thoughts traveled to the past as the breeze played with her blonde hair.  
The cool breeze picking up could only meant that they were nearing the north.

There were only her and Miles in the cabin.  
The Major had dozed off prior to their next stop and Scar had left for the restroom awhile ago.

The door slided.  
"It's getting cold," Scar handed her a hot drink and sat down opposite beside Miles.  
"Thank you."

Olivier noticed the huge man now as he sipped his drink.  
Would it be a different story had he not met Miles?  
Scar had noticed her attention and turned to face her.  
"I'm used to people staring at me but it's a first time I don't mind that."  
A smile lit up on Miles' face though his eyes remained close.

Olivier turned away hastily to refrain an awkward confrontation.  
"I was preoccupied in my thoughts. How's the trading point coming along?"

"(Yawn)," Miles picked himself up from his slouch. "The works are underway. How come I don't get coffee?"  
Olivier offered hers,"You can have mine, it's untouched."  
"How long have you been awake?" Scar asked.  
Miles took a quick whiff and a sip, "(Ahhh)~Long enough! This coffee is good, General. You don't know what you're missing! "  
Olivier folded her arms and drifted her eyes aimlessly out the window, "Well, you can keep it!"

* * *

_This was actually meant as an Olivier fanfic but I guess the northern winds changed! Jk, I'll try to keep up with her! =)_  
_She's my favourite character after all! ^.^_


	5. Chapter 5

The light symphony of crickets played barely in the cold evening,  
as the sleepy sun gave way to the awakening vast, shadowy blue.  
The capricious wind carried the smoke while she exhaled, it was cool at the patio.  
"What are you doing out here, old woman," Ed stepped and paused at the door.

Den lifted her head from the ground and wagged her tail as he approached.  
Pinako just smiled at him and drew from her pipe.  
This time she exhaled towards the sky.  
"Have you gotten used to that arm, pipsqueak?"  
"I'M NOT PIPSQUEAK ANYMORE!"  
"Oh, so you admit you _were_ pipsqueak?" a corner of her lip curled, as Pinako rested a hand on her hips.  
Ed folded his arms and turned his cheek to the other side, "...Well, I had this arm with me to begin with."  
"And I could do well with another pair of hands with the dishes, Mr. Elric!"  
"Eh?"

Den got up and ran towards Winry.  
Her blonde hair was tied back to a tail before removing her apron.  
She sat down between them and kicked up her legs a little.  
"But it's all done now," She smiled.

As the family gathered, a young night arrived with the stars in tow.


	6. Chapter 6

The window slammed and rebounded as the night wind blew.  
The flame swayed vigorously for a moment and a drop of wax streamed down.  
A stack of paper was slapped in the air, in a disarraying fashion,  
as Alphonse struggled to keep the surrounding loose pages on the desk from following suit.  
The night howled as the waning moon shied away between some clouds.  
"Whew!"

"Alphonse?"  
A face popped in by the door, with a companion. She was holding a soup of dumplings.  
"I thought you might be hungry," she chirped.  
He smiled, "Thank you, May."

Shao May hopped onto the desk and leapt towards some pages, left in a brisk manner.  
She signaled towards May.  
"Mm? Oh yes, I found some unsorted pages of these in the Imperial Library," Alphonse responded  
between mouthfuls.  
"Oh! So they were unsorted," May exclaimed. "we've been searching for these for awhile.  
We thought they were all compiled into volumes."

Seeing that she had his attention, she went on.  
"Yup," May said cheerily,"These notes are ancient. They were a tribute of gratitude from the Joseon Dynasty,  
another country that pursues traditional healing and medical practice."  
"So what do these little dots and lines mean?"  
On a serious note, she pointed to the page in front.  
"This is an acupuncture diagram, a concept of the fourteen meridians. Joseon also studies the flow of chi."  
"Ah, interesting."  
"By the way, you should finish your soup while it's hot!"  
To which, Shao May and May nodded in unison.  
"Hahaha, ok!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Your Majesty, you should turn in early."  
The new emperor of Xing inhaled deeply as he turned to his Royal Attendant.  
"Mm," Emperor Yao laid down his brush. A huge pile of scrolls sat in a tray to his right.  
A signboard that read "In Pursuit Of Cultivation" hung above against the wall.

"How many hours has it been now?"  
A voice stood out from the shadows,"Your Majesty, judging by the incense, it is now half-past midnight."  
The candles that flickered in the dim room, illuminated the dragon brocade as the emperor rose to leave.  
"Very well, proceed to my chambers."

A retinue followed close behind him.  
They passed by a garden lake.  
A familiar figure appeared stealthily on a roof, alongside of the moon in it's reflection.  
The emperor smiled.

The scent of sandalwood greeted him in the Royal Chamber.  
It was a relief that he could finally rest alone, thus, dismissing any questions he had for the moment,  
the emperor retired for the night in Sky Palace.


	8. Chapter 8

"Your humble servant greets you, Your Majesty."  
Morning arrived too soon.  
His Royal Attendant was right on time as usual, the usual grin appearing on his wrinkled face.  
"I trust that you slept well?"  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, We, did."  
A shadow crept by the pillar.

"It came to your humble servant's attention, that Your Majesty has difficulty reaching slumber recently.  
Aromatherapy has long been used for its fragrance and alternative for medicinal potential.  
Forgive me if I took matters in my own hands."  
"There is nothing to forgive Attendant Ho. We, are grateful for your intentions."

"Long Live Your Majesty, the Emperor of Xing!"  
The chorus started as court officials bowed down, as soon as Emperor Yao stepped in.  
"Rise."  
"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, the trading point between Xing and Amestris, is underway.  
A path is to be secured very soon."  
"Your Majesty, if trading points are in consideration, why not capture the Sea Route and  
the other possible routes as well?"  
"As beneficial as a suggestion it is Official Ko, we must not overlook the problem of pirates,  
the merchant system and other means of transport available."  
"There has been constant stealing near the east region of Xing, at the neighborhood border.  
Our people there are robbed by the poor neighbors and their harvest scarce  
It seems that their land is barren, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yao held his hand up. Some rays of light streamed in from the pattern holes on the high wall.  
"My fellow officials, let's take things one at a time."

He placed the teacup back to its saucer and continued to address them.

"That trading point is a collaboration between Xing, Amestris and Ishval. It is an important bridge  
that may help rebuild hopes and lives of others, as well as flourishing trade between the countries.  
Ease of transport is something that all of us would need to work and cooperate on.  
We have our horse carriages in the city but that would never work well in the desert.  
We, have seen the trains and vehicles in Amestris, since we're allies, We, are sure they'd be glad  
to share a piece of their transport technology with us in one way or another.

The Sea Route is far from any of these countries and may seem impractical at this moment.  
The fastest route is still via the desert.  
The country of Aerugo, has since picked up on friendly term with Amestris once more,  
ever since the demise of Fuhrer Bradley and the Homunculi incident.  
They have been known for being a trade country since the beginnings.  
If the Desert bridge is successful, then maybe, chances are we might consider to trade with Aerugo in future.  
The Merchant System has also been around for ages and works like any hierarchy system.  
Like they say, it's either people who work against you or with you. We, would prefer the latter.  
Minister of Trade, these people operate in the shadows, find out the mastermind and think of something  
to show them how much opportunities they have to work in the light. "

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And finally, for the eastern borders..."  
The emperor took a sip of tea.

"We, have noticed, that particular neighboring country is sandwiched  
between two other larger countries,  
though fortunately, no conflict has risen between them before.  
In fact, harvest is scarce in those two other areas as well.  
Minister of Agriculture, the last time Xing had poor harvest in certain regions,  
We, remembered we had own countermeasures.  
Like a philosopher once said "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  
Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."  
Pay a visit to the leader of that country and offer that knowledge, assist where possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Oh!" an official exclaimed, "There is a list waiting for your approval, Your Majesty!"

"Mm?"

* * *

_Note: "We"(__朕__) is used when an emperor refers to himself; as in "I"._


	9. Chapter 9

Emperor Yao paced thoughtfully and slowly, to and fro in his study, with a scroll in his hand.  
He paused at the window and lifted his eyes to the sky.

"Attendant Ho."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Which works harder? The sun or the moon?"

The Royal Attendant smiled in reply, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, both the sun and the moon, works hard in its time."

"Oh?" Emperor Yao turned and lowered the scroll.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Attendant Ho went on. "The sun works hard in the day and while he rests, the moon works hard at night  
so that the people will not be lost. So you see Your Majesty, they are both equally important. In fact, they compliment each other,  
just like how a wife should compliment her husband, hence, an empress to the emperor, Your Majesty."  
He bowed and gestured towards a red scroll, that sat apart from the rest of the petitions.

"Ah-hahaha! Is this your way of nagging _us_ to find a wife, Attendant Ho?"

"Your humble servant wouldn't dare, Your Majesty," replied the old attendant. "If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Do so."

Although they were finally alone, there was silence and the Royal Bodyguard remained quiet nonetheless.  
She peeked through the holes of the door frame that separated them.

"Do you have something to say, Ran Fan?"

It startled her. She quivered slightly and turned towards the courtyard, where a chill started to rouse the shrubs.  
She thought for awhile.  
"An emperor should have an empress, Your Majesty. It has already been some time since your coronation."

The emperor held his back towards her.  
"I am cold. Would you bring me the cloak on my bed, please?"

The emperor didn't turn as she edged closer.  
As she stood near behind him, she watched his shoulders rise slightly as he breathed.  
She hesitated as she slowly reached out to wrap the cloak around him.

This time, he caught her hand, "Did you notice that I said 'I am cold' instead of 'We'?"

Ran Fan was speechless behind her mask.

"It is I who requested you to come close and not 'We'. Thus, it would be correct to say that it is I, as a man, not the emperor,  
who wants you by my side and to always be the woman behind me."

The emperor turned around at last and with her hand still in his, his eyes softened.  
"Let this just be my way of saying, that I will always be me, only in front of you, my queen."


	10. Chapter 10

"(Gulp), Maybe...we should come back later, May," Alphonse noted sheepishly, as both stayed witness to the confession, through a window, in the courtyard.  
May held on tightly to his arms as she observed intently behind the shrubs. Her grip was tightening and he winced as a slight pain started to rub off on him!

"May!" Alphonse whispered in agony.

She tore her eyes away from the couple and noticed her hands, which immediately released him as her face turned a crimson red.  
"Sorry," she managed, still recovering from her embarrassment.

"It's ok," he whispered. "We should head back now before anyone notices us!"

With her eyes still on the ground, she nodded and followed Alphonse away as quietly as possible.

* * *

Alphonse heaved a sigh of relief, "Whew! I'm glad we got away!"

He stood out two teacups and began to pour some tea. May pulled out a stool and sat quietly, with Shao May, observing her mistress on her shoulders.  
The little panda brushed her face lightly.

"Mm? What's wrong, May?" Alphonse asked.

The little princess looked up with quivering eyes and started hesitantly, "Alphonse..."  
The teenager looked thoughtfully at her.

As she shied her eyes away, her hands reached for her skirt, creasing within her grasp.  
"Um, what do you think of me?"

Alphonse smiled, "you're a very nice girl, May."

May's eyes widened happily as she turned to face him, wiping away any tears of doubt and relieve that fell.  
There was a long way ahead of them and this was the only answer that he could give her at this point in time.


	11. Chapter 11

A clatter of shoes echoed the corridor of Briggs.

"Welcome back General."

The trio waited as the elevator descended, watching the arrow animating slowly over the levels indicator.  
Scar took his eyes off the top for a moment and fell his sight on the lady general in front of him.  
He felt a lump in his throat as he swallowed.

"I'll be heading for the canteen first. Miles will help you settle for the night. If you're hungry, meet me there later."  
With that, the general took off at a different level and Scar found himself staring after her shadow.

"We can meet her later after we settle things down," Miles offered, as his lips lit up a corner.  
Scar's eyes widened and closed as he folded his arms, "What are you talking about.."

Miles stifled a chuckle, "I saw that."

"What?" Scar sounded a little annoyed.

"You were staring at her even before we entered the elevator and never taking her off your sight even after she left!"

The huge Ishvalan found himself fighting a blush for the first time.

"Well, she is an attractive person," Miles continued to tease, before ending on a serious note.  
"However, we'll both be heading East tomorrow. That's where we're needed. I'm just back here to tie up loose ends, just so you know."

* * *

It was rather quiet that night in the canteen. It was off-peak hours and most soldiers were either on guard or off.  
A handful of them greeted her as Olivier made her way past them.  
She settled down with her food at a favourite corner. It would take some time for the boys to get ready and join her.  
As she ate, her sight drifted to a cup of coffee at a nearby table. Scar's words came back to her. It felt strange then and now as well.  
She found herself thinking about Buccaneer again. The First Lieutenant will be promoted to cover his duties.

"General," Miles called out, as they approached.  
Olivier found herself looking up to a blushing Scar, averting her eyes as soon as they met.  
Curious, she decided to fix her eyes on him awhile longer.

The weight of her attention played him to notice her cup of tea by her hand. It was also a relief she wasn't wearing any ring.  
"You don't like coffee?"

"Not tonight when I need some sleep," came her reply shortly.  
Her attention shifted to Miles, "I suppose everything's tied up?"

Miles,"Yes, General."

It didn't take long to polish up their food and she got up to leave.  
"I guess you'll both be on your way tomorrow morning. Have some sleep, it's quite a journey."  
She walked away and left the tray at the collection station.

Scar stared after her and thought deeply.  
It wasn't time for this, not yet. It will come in time but now it wasn't it.  
"I'll come back to Briggs someday, Miles. Now isn't the time."

Miles smiled and slapped his back as they prepared themselves for a long, needed strength.  
That night, the sky was clear and the stars scattered hopefully, in the vast sea of darkness.

-END-

* * *

Just wanted to add something else, I felt that this song kinda helps with how they felt and what everyone's going through..after that big event..  
at the end of this story too.

So am gonna dedicate this song here: _The Prayer_ by Josh Groban  
www dot youtube dot com slash watch?v=ckH3V_xOCnQ


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